Ch. 3
It was late and Xander had just finished unpacking. He decided to take the attic bedroom, leaving the ones on the lower levels to couples. Buffy would be sharing a room with Dawn right underneath Xander, across from them would be Faith and Robin, in the first floor bedroom would be Giles, and in the basement Willow and Kennedy would sleep.
Xander sat down on his bed, staring at his hands. He tried to focus on anything else, but Anya's face was front and center. He began to cry. "Anya, oh, god. It's my fault. I left her at the altar. Godammit! I am the biggest loser in the history of the world. If I hadn't, maybe she wouldn't- and we'd-"
He threw himself face-first onto his pillow and cried for what felt like hours. He heard his door swing open. Upon spinning, he was sure he was hallucinating. Buffy stood with her hands on her hips. "Buffy!" He shouted. "Are you- I mean, can you talk?"
"Yes, Xander, I can talk." She crossed the room and sat on the bed next to him. Xander.... I can't have you fight with me anymore."
"What? Buffy, why not?"
"Well.... It's so many things, your eye for one, which the doctors said will never heal unless there's some breakthrough technology, and this depression thing you've got going...."
"'Depression thing'?" he asked. "'Depression thing'? The only woman I have ever loved just died. How dare you? Buffy, God knows I love you, but this is the stupidest thing you've ever said or done, and that's on top of the time you were doing Spike behind my back, and-"
"Xander, dear God!" a voice cried from the doorway. Anya walked in, still bearing the wound that brought about her demise. "Get over me! I have hated you ever since you left me at the altar! And you want to know what? I died hating you. The last thought I ever thought was, Well, at least I never have to see him a-"
Xander screamed and bolted awake. A dream, he thought. A dream. A moment passed and he noticed there was someone in his doorway.
"Dawn?" he said. "What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"
She shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. I have a bit of, um, car lag, I guess. I heard your bed squeaking. Were you having a bed- oh, my God, it's hot up here." She waved the neckline of her robe open and closed in hopes of attracting a breeze downward. She looked at Xander, who was still reflecting on his dream. "What was it?"
"You don't want to hear about my dreams."
"Yes, I do. What if it's like, an amen or something?"
"An omen?"
"Well, that's what the dreams you guys have usually are."
"Not always!" Xander was getting defensive, now. Dawn was about to give up, when he said, "Anya."
"No, Xander," Dawn said in a slightly hurt voice. "I'm Dawn."
"I know who you are. It's- I dreamt that Anya....she said she hated me, that her hatred towards me was the last thing she thought."
"No, Xander. She loved you. Deep down, under her hurt, she really loved you. And I mean...." She bit her lip as she crossed the room and sat down on the bed next to him. "Who wouldn't?" She leaned forward and kissed him.
Xander pulled back. "Dawn, uh, what the hell was that?"
"Oh, God! I knew, I mean, what the hell was I thinking? You just lost the love of your life, and here I am, making—mmmm...." Xander had grabbed her shoulders and kissed her full on the lips. Dawn reached down to her waistline and untied the robe. She shrugged it off, revealing nothing underneath. Xander looked down, and continued the kiss. Dawn stood up and crawled under the sheets, smiling coyly at Xander.
He rushed to join her there.
It was late and Xander had just finished unpacking. He decided to take the attic bedroom, leaving the ones on the lower levels to couples. Buffy would be sharing a room with Dawn right underneath Xander, across from them would be Faith and Robin, in the first floor bedroom would be Giles, and in the basement Willow and Kennedy would sleep.
Xander sat down on his bed, staring at his hands. He tried to focus on anything else, but Anya's face was front and center. He began to cry. "Anya, oh, god. It's my fault. I left her at the altar. Godammit! I am the biggest loser in the history of the world. If I hadn't, maybe she wouldn't- and we'd-"
He threw himself face-first onto his pillow and cried for what felt like hours. He heard his door swing open. Upon spinning, he was sure he was hallucinating. Buffy stood with her hands on her hips. "Buffy!" He shouted. "Are you- I mean, can you talk?"
"Yes, Xander, I can talk." She crossed the room and sat on the bed next to him. Xander.... I can't have you fight with me anymore."
"What? Buffy, why not?"
"Well.... It's so many things, your eye for one, which the doctors said will never heal unless there's some breakthrough technology, and this depression thing you've got going...."
"'Depression thing'?" he asked. "'Depression thing'? The only woman I have ever loved just died. How dare you? Buffy, God knows I love you, but this is the stupidest thing you've ever said or done, and that's on top of the time you were doing Spike behind my back, and-"
"Xander, dear God!" a voice cried from the doorway. Anya walked in, still bearing the wound that brought about her demise. "Get over me! I have hated you ever since you left me at the altar! And you want to know what? I died hating you. The last thought I ever thought was, Well, at least I never have to see him a-"
Xander screamed and bolted awake. A dream, he thought. A dream. A moment passed and he noticed there was someone in his doorway.
"Dawn?" he said. "What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"
She shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. I have a bit of, um, car lag, I guess. I heard your bed squeaking. Were you having a bed- oh, my God, it's hot up here." She waved the neckline of her robe open and closed in hopes of attracting a breeze downward. She looked at Xander, who was still reflecting on his dream. "What was it?"
"You don't want to hear about my dreams."
"Yes, I do. What if it's like, an amen or something?"
"An omen?"
"Well, that's what the dreams you guys have usually are."
"Not always!" Xander was getting defensive, now. Dawn was about to give up, when he said, "Anya."
"No, Xander," Dawn said in a slightly hurt voice. "I'm Dawn."
"I know who you are. It's- I dreamt that Anya....she said she hated me, that her hatred towards me was the last thing she thought."
"No, Xander. She loved you. Deep down, under her hurt, she really loved you. And I mean...." She bit her lip as she crossed the room and sat down on the bed next to him. "Who wouldn't?" She leaned forward and kissed him.
Xander pulled back. "Dawn, uh, what the hell was that?"
"Oh, God! I knew, I mean, what the hell was I thinking? You just lost the love of your life, and here I am, making—mmmm...." Xander had grabbed her shoulders and kissed her full on the lips. Dawn reached down to her waistline and untied the robe. She shrugged it off, revealing nothing underneath. Xander looked down, and continued the kiss. Dawn stood up and crawled under the sheets, smiling coyly at Xander.
He rushed to join her there.
